Standard consumer automobiles and trucks have doors which typical weigh 50-60 pounds. Heavy duty vehicles, such as armored military vehicles, have doors which can weigh in excess of 1000 pounds. Conventional door locks and latches for automobiles, utility vehicles and other specialty vehicles will not stand up to the rigors required of such heavy duty vehicles, such as repeated cycles, vibration, dust and dirt, extreme temperatures, arms fire and bomb blasts.
Manufacturers of heavy duty vehicles, including armored military vehicles and other off-road vehicles, currently purchase separate components for the closing, latching and locking of a vehicle door. For example, separately purchased components may include an inside door release, a locking logic assembly, interconnecting control rods, a rotary pawl blast lock, and an interface for an exterior door handle. The blast lock is a secondary latch which is placed to resist extreme blast forces, as well as substantial forces resulting from such a blast which may lift the vehicle partially off the ground or cause the vehicle to roll. The blast lock enhances door security and personal safety. Normally, the door latch and blast lock mechanisms have separate and independent disengagement controls. All of these components are assembled separately onto the door using 30-36 fasteners, and then interconnected to one another. Significant positioning adjustment is usually necessary for proper functioning of the components. Such individual installation of the various components is time consuming and costly, and thus undesirable from a manufacturing perspective.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved heavy duty vehicle door latch, rotary pawl blast lock and release handle assembly.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a latch, rotary pawl blast lock and release handle assembly which is preassembled as a singular modular unit for subsequent assembly onto the door of a heavy duty vehicle.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a unitary or integrated latch, rotary pawl blast lock and release handle assembly which can be quickly and easily installed on a heavy duty vehicle door.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a latch module, a rotary pawl blast lock module and a release handle module which are preassembled and then interconnected before installation of the assembly on a heavy duty vehicle door.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty door latch and lock assembly having multiple modules interconnected to form a single, rigid unit for quick and easy installation onto the door.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty door latch and blast rotary pawl lock assembly which is mounted to the door using a total of 10-12 fasteners.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty vehicle door latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly which prohibits inadvertent door opening.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly for a heavy duty vehicle door which can be quickly opened from inside the vehicle with a single actuation step, whether the door is locked or unlocked.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty vehicle door latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly having a release handle which overrides a lock lever from inside the vehicle.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty vehicle door latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly having a modular design to allow for application to multiple door layouts and arrangements.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a heavy duty vehicle door latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly which replaces conventional, complex latch-logic locking mechanisms with a simple locking rod to disallow movement of the latch rotor.
A further objective of the present invention is a latch and rotary pawl blast lock integrated unit which can be surfaced mounted on the inside of a flat door of a heavy duty vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved heavy duty vehicle door latch and rotary pawl blast lock assembly for use on armored military vehicles which is durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.